There's never a bad time for smallmouth bass. They are the premier freshwater fighter. It's like a dance with the prom queen -- something you just don't walk away from when the opportunity comes.

All smallmouth opportunities are good ones, often great ones, but with the arrival of late May and early June, the river smallmouth situation gets top billing in my book. Yes, you can still catch smallies at first light and late in the evening on topwater plugs and jerkbaits on brown fish lakes, and you can definitely start to catch your share of after dark bronzebacks on the same lakes now.

Topwater action is so hard to beat, and I love night fishing for smallmouths, but right now -- it's river time!

Plus, you can get plenty of topwater action on moving water. And you won't need a black light for the rivers we're about to highlight.

Count yourself fortunate to be living within the borders of the Volunteer State where the smallmouth bass is the duly noted king. Count yourself even more fortunate if you live in the eastern portion of the state within a short drive of three of the best smallmouth rivers going. I'm not completely overlooking the Duck River or the Buffalo on the other side of the state capital, they're both good smallmouth bass fisheries, but the Holston, the Pigeon and the Nolichucky rivers in East Tennessee are ranked among the best in the nation.

For consistent size and numbers, the Holston and the Pigeon are neck and neck and considered by fisheries biologists as tied for the top spot in the state for stream smallmouths.

The Nolichucky River is simply the granddad of smallmouth rivers and is still a premier destination for wade fishermen and those that do it by drifting a boat or canoe.

The Holston River smallmouth opportunity is better than decent below Cherokee Dam, but the fact is the fishing above Cherokee Lake below Fort Loudoun Dam is the heart of the Holston. Just above the John Sevier Dam at the headwaters of Cherokee Lake, you'll find a few smallies mixed in with primarily largemouth bass there. From there on up, it's strictly brown fish time.

The Nolichucky River features some excellent wading from just below Erwin down into Washington County. A lot of smallmouth anglers use canoes and other small vessels to drift through these areas and catch plenty of brown fish from the moving waters here. But like the Holston, there is a sweet spot on the Nolichucky as well, and it's found below the dam in Greene County.

There's little access here, but there is a TWRA public ramp on downstream at the Easterly Bridge that has prime smallmouth waters above and below it.

The Pigeon River -- what more can you say than it's been rated as the top smallmouth stream in Tennessee for more than a couple of years now. It's a trophy destination with size restrictions that state you can only keep one smallmouth per day, and it has to be at least 20-inches in length.

A lot of fishermen swear by the drift trip from the ramp near the Newport Police Station on down to where the Pigeon dumps into the French Board, it's especially good in the springtime. But like the other rivers, there is a better place. The wade fishing found above the town of Newport is the best the Pigeon has to offer. There are a number of pools and holes that hold some quality as well as number of smallmouth bass.

Let's keep it simple. I literally could probably name dozens of lures that will and can catch river smallmouths. But why name them all when you can name three that will keep brown fish on your line all summer long.

Number one - without a doubt the three-inch grub is and will continue to be one of the top producers of smallies in moving water. Fished on a 1/8-ounce jighead, this smallmouth getter is productive because it's versatile. You can bounce, it, you can swim it or just let it drift, but whatever you do -- don't ever leave it at home when headed for smallmouth waters.

In any of the three rivers we're profiling, you'll want more natural colors. Smoke and pumpkinseed or green pumpkin grubs tend to get a lot of attention from angry smallmouths. That doesn't mean chartreuse or yellow don't work because they definitely do on given days.

For topwater, there's not a choice, it's a given. The Tiny Torpedo will always be rated as the best topwater bait ever created for river smallies for me. Sure, you can twitch it slightly on the surface and garner a few strikes, but you can jerk the life out of it make the smallies mad and get a whole lot more.

Smallmouths are predators, and they prey on the weak, the injured and the less fortunate. But they also take out a lot of stress on a bait that appears aggressive or seems to be running for cover. Make your bait have any of these qualities, and you'll find smallies on top all the way through October.

The last smallmouth bait of choice for moving water hasn't been around anywhere near as long as the grub or legendary Tiny Torpedo. The Yum Dinger is a finesse worm that was probably thought up for largemouth bass. When it's rigged whacky-style, as they call it, largemouths want to eat it.

For current like that found in smallmouth streams, forget the "whackiness." Rig the Dinger straight up, Texas-style on a 2/0 hook without a weight for river smallies. You can cast it a country mile regardless, and once it hits the water it works just below the surface tempting even the most finicky smallmouth bass. You'll want to place this finesse jewel in eddy pockets and along the edges of current where smallies stage. Drift it naturally, only picking the rod tip up and down slightly to put just a little tempting action in the worm's fall. You won't normally feel the strike - just the weight of the fish when you pick the rod up - set the hook - there's a brown fish there.

There's a simple look at smallmouth stream fishing. Three rivers - three lures. Any combination of the three, from water to lure selection - you just can't miss when it's river time.